Vicki,
Thanks for your question to planDisney!
The holidays are an amazing time to visit Walt Disney World. Well, to be candid, it is pretty amazing all year around, but the holiday decor really brings a unique, warm, and festive vibe to the magic!
Typically the Christmas decorations in the Magic Kingdom Park and other locations start going up right after Halloween. Like, in the next day or two. But decorating 4 large theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs, and more than 2 dozen resorts does not happen overnight, even with some Christmas magic. The bulk of the park decorating at the Magic Kingdom Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park will be done by the first week of November. EPCOT follows later in the month of November, typically after the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival ends. The resorts will mostly be done by mid-November as well.
So decorations are mostly all up by early November, but you won't see every last strand of tinsel and garland up until closer to Thanksgiving. As for when they all come down, things start moving off right after the new year.
Some of my favorite sights during the holidays include
- The Gingerbread house at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where they actually have someone INSIDE the house selling gingerbread houses. That is how big it is
- Walking down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom Park when it is fully decorated, especially if the faux snow is coming down
- The different holiday hosts in the EPCOT World Showcase, giving us some views into holidays around the world
BOTTOM LINE
If you want the full holiday experience, plan on a trip anywhere from days before Thanksgiving through to New Years Day. If you can survive it being 3/4 done, and want to experience lighter crowds, consider the mid-November time frame.
Have a Magical Vacation!
Doug